The Smurfs and the Foxfire (Hero Stories)/Part 4
As the three Smurfs ran as fast they could back to the village, all their commotion caused all the nearby wildlife to flee in fear. They weaved through any nearby bush they could find in order to escape from the chasing Marsh Monster. "Keep running, boys," Wonder said. "Couldn't you just grab us and fly?" Panicky asked. "Too risky!" Wonder answered. "Even if I did, I'll be smurfing behind an energy trail for him to follow us." "I guess that smurfs your idea out the window then, Panicky," Pushover responded. "Cursed he who kills the flame, cursed he who gives me pain," the Monster chanted as he continued to chase after them. ... Back in the Smurf Village, Papa Smurf was busy looking through his books in his laboratory when Brainy suddenly came running in. "PAPA SMURF! PAPA SMURF!" Brainy shouted. "Brainy! What's the matter?" Papa Smurf responded with a question of his own. "The Smurfs are all ready for the parade but we can't find the Foxfire torch!" Brainy retorted. "But I saw Panicky earlier and he said he had..." Papa Smurf said before a thought suddenly came to him. Whereas outside his laboratory, the Smurfs were gathered by a large group of fireflies, each of them holding a small basket. They were wondering what was keeping them from starting their parade. "What's smurfing us up?" Hefty demanded. "Where's Panicky?" another Smurf asked. "Doesn't he have the torch?" a third Smurf asked, repeating what the others had said. "I hate waiting!" Grouchy muttered. "Do you think something's happened to him?" Smurfette asked to no Smurf in particular. They all soon began to voice their complaints at the same time before Papa Smurf came running out of his laboratory and towards them with several questions of his own. "Has any Smurf seen Panicky?" he asked them all at once. All the Smurfs voiced their answers at the same time, saying they hadn't seen him for some time before Smurfette voiced her answer. "I saw him at Pushover's house, Papa Smurf," she said. "Pushover's house?" Papa Smurf said pondering that very thought. "Has anyone seen Pushover today?" The Smurfs all voiced their answers once again at the same time, saying they hadn't seen him either. Papa Smurf suddenly had a realization of what was going on. "Well, I'm beginning to understand," he acknowledged before heading off to Pushover's house to see if he was there. Once he arrived he knocked on the door and called for him, but there was no reply. Suddenly, familiar voices came from close by pleading for Papa Smurf's help, followed by deep menacing groans. "Who's that?" Brainy asked. Smurfette began to feel her legs shake with fear of what danger could be approaching the village, "Who's that?" she quaked. When the three running Smurfs came close to the village, the others noticed the monster that was chasing them. "Wha... Wha... Wha..." Brainy stammered, his legs rapidly shaking. "Great heavens!" Papa Smurf said with severe shock in his voice. "They're leading him right to the village." "Leading who, Papa Smurf?" Brainy requested. "The Marsh Monster! They've awakened him," Papa Smurf responded. "The... Ma... Ma... Marsh Monster!" Brainy trembled. "Quick! Evey Smurf! Evacuate the village! Wait for me across the River Smurf!" Papa Smurf ordered. "Yes, Papa Smurf!" all the Smurfs replied before Harmony blew his horn loudly causing them to all run out of the village, Papa Smurf watched as they left before the voice of Marsh Monster sounded ever closer to the village. "Papa Smurf! Help!" Panicky and Pushover pleaded as they approached. Papa Smurf had left the village to meet up with them, but not before taking cover as the wildlife was heading in the opposite direction at the same time and they could've trampled him by accident. "Cursed he who kills the flame, cursed he who gives me pain," the Monster chanted as Panicky, Wonder and Pushover finally met up with Papa Smurf. "Papa Smurf! The Marsh Monster!" Panicky shivered. "Panicky! I thought you said you didn't smurf out the Foxfire?" Papa Smurf questioned. Pushover slightly lowered his head. "I did it, Papa Smurf," he replied. "But it was an accident." "I can vouch for him, Papa Smurf," Wonder insisted. "I was with him when it smurfed." "What were you smurfing with him for, Wonder?" Papa Smurf asked again. "For personal reasons, Papa Smurf," Wonder replied. "Personal reasons?" Papa Smurf responded sounding a bit unsure as to what she was talking about. "What personal reasons? You know I don't like any of you keeping any issues from me, if there was anything wrong; you know you could always smurf to me about your problems." "If only it were that easy," Pushover muttered to himself. "What was that, Pushover?" Papa Smurf asked. "Nothing, Papa Smurf," Pushover replied quickly. "Don't lie to me, Pushover," Papa Smurf said. "If there's anything wrong then you can smurf it to me." Pushover's face clenched and he tightened his fists. "Now's your chance, Pushover," Wonder insisted. "Maybe smurfing to Papa Smurf what you smurfed to me will smurf a huge weight off your shoulders." Pushover took a deep sigh, "Well, Papa Smurf," he began. "It all began when..." He was suddenly cut off by the Marsh Monster's groan; which sounded like he was now more closer to the village. "We need to lure him back to the Great Swamp!" Papa Smurf insisted. "You need to smurf back there and relight the flame." Panicky's eyes shot wide open, "You mean... go back?" he trembled before he began to violently shake much more than usual, as if he was about to suffer from a major panic attack. "Cursed he who kills the flame, cursed he who gives me pain," the Monster chanted from close by. Pushover and Wonder looked at each other and nodded. "Me and Wonder will go, Papa Smurf," Pushover said adamantly. "It was me who smurfed out the flame." "I'll smurf alongside him for protection," Wonder added. "I'll... I'll go too!" Panicky responded, agreeing to do it. "It was supposed to be my job." "The three of you aren't too frightened?" Papa Smurf asked them. "Who's frightened?" the three of them answered adamantly with slightly puffed out chests. Papa Smurf proceeded to bring out a scroll and give them a good piece of advice; which would benefit them. Panicky was the one to take the scroll from him. "Here! Take this scroll and read it in time of need," he advised them. "It will protect you. Now go, and may the spirit of bygone Smurfs be with you." "Yes, Papa Smurf," they acknowledged. "One more piece of advice, my little Smurfs," Papa Smurf added. "It's alright to be afraid, everybody is sometimes." "Yes, Papa Smurf," they all answered before Wonder took Pushover and Panicky's free hand and took to the air, flying right past the Marsh Monster and leaving behind an energy trail. "Hey, big fella!" Wonder professed as they passed. "Follow us! We're going this way." "Cursed he who kills the flame, cursed he who gives me pain," the Monster chanted as he followed. ... As Wonder flew through the air towards the Great Swamp, Panicky and Pushover continuously played what Papa Smurf told them in their heads. "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Everybody is sometimes: Chipmunks, Bluejays, even me; yes, even me sometimes. We're all afraid of different things: thunder, toads, snakes, ghosts, goblins, bumblebees, the sound of the wind through the trees. Don't be afraid, don't be afraid to be afraid, everybody is sometimes: the racoon, the squirrel, even me; even I'm afraid sometimes." ''Papa Smurf's voice said playing in their minds. "I sure hope Papa Smurf's advice is true, otherwise we're in trouble." Panicky thought to himself. "Remember, boys," Wonder told them. "Once we smurf back to the swamp, we bring the monster home, relight the flame and head home for the party." "Let's hope we can smurf it in time," Pushover answered sounding uncertain. "Trust me," Wonder said confidently. "We can do smurf this! I know we can." "Well, if you say we can smurf it," Panicky replied sounding a bit more confident than he was before. "Well, I too feel we can smurf it." As they flew off through the forest, Papa Smurf looked on feeling a little worried, all the Smurfs were still running around shouting and screaming loudly. "It's a big Smurf eating monster with enormous teeth and..." Brainy stammered as he described the monster, not making their current situation any better as the Smurfs feel even worse than before. "BRAINY!" Papa Smurf thundered. "I asked you to evacuate, not smurf a riot." "Well... I... uh... well..." Brainy said, stuttering his words immensely. "What about the monster, Papa Smurf?" Hefty asked. "The Marsh Monster is on his way home, Hefty," Papa Smurf replied. "But where are Pushover and Panicky, Papa Smurf?" Smurfette asked as she joined them. "The both of them and Wonder are showing him the way," Papa Smurf retorted. "Showing him the way!" Brainy, Hefty and Smurfette replied at the same time before Smurfette's eyes quickly shot open. "Wonder! What's she smurfing with them for?" she questioned Papa Smurf. "For protection, my little Smurfette," Papa Smurf answered. "No need to worry though, I can trust Wonder with their safety." "Are you sure, Papa Smurf?" Brainy inquired. "Of course I can, Brainy," Papa Smurf said. "Wonder smurfs the same powers as Hero as you all well know, I'm sure she'll smurf them to good use." Smurfette felt really worried for her sister, she didn't want to her get hurt; but deep down in her heart she knew what Wonder was doing. '...' When Wonder, Panicky and Pushover grew closer and closer to the Great Swamp, they could hear what appeared to be the Marsh Monster falling behind them, like he was running out of breath. "''Cursed he who kills the flame, cursed he who gives me pain," the Monster chanted, sounding like he running out of breath. "Come on, big fella," Wonder shouted back. "Not much farther now." Once they could see the pit where the Foxfire once was, Wonder proceeded to land slowly and surely as to not hurt herself or her companions. "We made it, boys," Wonder said. "Now we just have to relight the Foxfire." "Let me just smurf my breath first, I'm not a big fan of flying," Panicky said between breaths. "Well, you need to hurry," Pushover insisted. "The monster's not that far behind." "Too late! He's here!" Wonder said as the Marsh Monster suddenly loomed above them menacingly. Panicky cowered beneath his hat, his legs shook rapidly. "Panicky! Quick! The scroll!" Pushover said hastily. Wonder used her energy to quickly conjure up a shield to protect them from the monsters grasp. "This will protect us!" she said. "Panicky! The scroll!" "Right! The scroll! The scroll!" Panicky said, shaking violently as he unraveled the scroll and began to read it. "O ancient spirit of summer night, help us smurf the thing that's right; O give us strength in this hour of need, to bravely smurf our noble deed." Suddenly, they watched as the monster began to glow as his nature became very calm and collective instead of being overly aggressive and menacing. Wonder made her protective shield slowly fade away. "Mr Monster," Pushover began to say. "I was the one who smurfed out the flame, it was an accident and I'm sorry." The monster mumbled back his response in an non-intelligible language, they knew now was the best time to relight the flame, Panicky felt too scared to even do it. "You do it, Pushover," Panicky insisted handing the torch to Pushover. "No way!" Pushover barked back. "You're the Foxfire Smurf! You do it." "Me?" Panicky questioned. "Well, I'm definitely not doing it," Wonder answered adamantly. "So don't even try asking me." "But... but... but..." Panicky quaked stuttering his words. "Panicky! I've done more than my fair share of favors for the Smurfs!" Pushover thundered back. "This job was supposed to be yours, so do it!" Panicky gulped with fear as he headed along the rocky path towards the location where the Foxfire flame was to be relight. "You're right!" Panicky said. "It's my responsibility." and eventually the Foxfire flame was lit-up once more in its original place. "I did it! I did it! I relight the Foxfire." Wonder and Pushover cheered for Panicky as he made his way back towards them, they watched as the Marsh Monster slowly descended back in to the swamp and the horrendous weather soon dissipated. "You did it, Panicky," Pushover congratulated. "Well done, Panicky," Wonder added, also giving her congratulations. "Well, boys, it's time for us to smurf back home, we have the Firefly lantern to light and a party to smurf forward to." "You're right!" Pushover said. "Let's get smurfing." "Allow me, boys," Wonder insisted. "I'll smurf us back before you know it." Panicky and Pushover smiled as Wonder took their hands and took to the air and flew as fast as she could back to the village. Smurf to Part 5 Category:A Heroic Smurf's articles Category:Hero the Guardian Smurf stories Category:The Smurfs and the Foxfire Chapters